Advice needed for steady canter!

[Snowflake]

I am probably trying to run before I can walk, so to speak!

Now I am confident enough to try the canter, my instructor is encouraging me to try some transitions at the end of each of my weekly lessons.

So far I have only cantered on Bounty's left rein, which is her better one. Last night I did three lots of canter, and managed to get her into canter on each try. It is about three or four years since I did any decent canter work so I am a bit rusty (and a bit nervous still:eek:

I know that I just have to keep pegging away until I get the "feel" of the movement more. Bounty is quite forward going though so to me the canter does feel faster than I would like! Her trot can be speedy but I have learned to regulate this and now we can manage a very creditable working trot! So I am managing quite a few canter strides and when I feel she is getting a bit fast fortunately I am able to pull her up and go back to trot, she is very biddable. But I would like to get to grips with the canter more, so that I can regulate the pace more!

Now I am confident enough to give it a go I want to improve! Wish I had one of those horses with a nice slow canter!!

Any advice or tips anyone?

Snowflake

[Mehitabel]

just give it time - it'll come. without you really riding the canter and regulating the speed, it is faster than the trot. so for the minute, it's a case of getting used to it and the speed will stop worrying you. then, once you are more confident at doing more of it, you can then start riding it like you have done with the trot.
now you've done it a bit, can you hack out and practice? then you can canter for a bit longer, and it'll get easier without having to worry abotu balancing round corners or anything.

[kedwards]

I don't know if it's an option for you, but I'd definitely put a plug in for trying some work on the longe line. It's a great way to work on your position and getting a feel of the gait without worrying about needing to control pace or direction. Plus, if you feel insecure, you can place your outside hand on the pommel and pull yourself more deeply into the saddle.

[denise42]

Kenwards : My instructor had me do just that last night , I put my out side hand on the horn and cantered till the cows came home ( including a bolt ) I felt much more secure than when riding with out just that little bit of contact with the saddle. What a huge difference it made , by the end of the lesson she was telling me to put my hand back on the horn as I would find myself letting go and just riding. LIKE A NORMAL PERSON :D

[hometrotter]

On a faster horse I have had better luck regulating the speed of the canter when we would circle half ring. That way the horse is always bent to the inside. If you ride them on the rail the entire way around the ring they get to pick up too much speed on the long side. My instructor would have us canter half ring and then once the horse was going nicely we would go around the entire ring trying to maintain the pace.

[BackintheSaddle]

Are you riding elngish or wester? If english, I would use a firmer outside rein contact, and kind of sponge the rein (squeeze, release, squeeze, release) when you want to slow within the canter. In western, I think I lean back and kind of flex by bum when I'm trying to slow the lope (been a long time).

[maria9657]

I am not sure what style you are riding but if you are english than I have a bit of advice that might help that i discovered last night.

I was riding a different horse than I usually ride, this one was way faster and more foreward going, so like you when I went into canter I could manage a few strides and then it felt too fast and I slowed down to a trot again.

What my instructor did was she got me to go into 2 point in trot and then go into a canter than back to trot than to walk then halt then back up and down again and what not for a while, all while still in 2 point. I am not sure if this is the same for you but when I am in 2 point I feel more secure and feel more in control (I think it is the fact that I have something to hold on to (mane)). what this excercise did for me (other than make me have mighty sore thighs today) was it allowed me to get used to the horses speed and transitions.

Another thing that I find helps me regulate the pace is counting each canter stride to myself (like you do before a jump), either outloud or in my head this seems to keep it at a pace where I can do it.

Hope this helps, I am now going to go sit in the bathtub and soak my legs so I am hopefully not so sore tomorrow.

[Scarlett 001]

Originally posted by maria9657
I am not sure if this is the same for you but when I am in 2 point I feel more secure and feel more in control (I think it is the fact that I have something to hold on to (mane)). what this excercise did for me (other than make me have mighty sore thighs today) was it allowed me to get used to the horses speed and transitions.

Just located my first thread ever on NR which was about cantering in two-point and its pros and cons. Worth a read, as it gives insight as to why an instructor might use it as a learning tool etc.

http://www.newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24353

[Snowflake]

Just thought I would give you an update of my progress.

Lessons going well, sometimes weekly and sometimes fortnightly now it's winter. In each lesson towards the end we have a bit of a canter. I had a lesson on Friday and did the best bit of canter for ages. So far though I have only managed it on the left rein!

Bounty popped nicely into canter and we got almost around the (large) arena and it didn't feel fast all. I expect this is because I am gradually getting the feel of it again, and thank goodness I seem to have got my nerve back! I have just kept pegging away and things are definitely on the up!

Mind you, crafty monkey, after that little triumph, would she do it again? Huh, you must be joking. She obvously thought to herself, oh well Mum's done the C thing now, that's her lot for today!!!


Snowflake

[cvb]

hmm - just wondering whether "rising canter" would be a worthwhile exercise ? It helps both with rider balance and canter rhythm. But if you're only getting short canters this may be something for later.

Its basically like rising trot - but at canter :o You rise (not all the way, just a light seat slightly out of saddle) for one stride and sit for one stride.

I use this with my mare now and again. She has a lovely canter but when I first got her she used to get very tense about the upward transition, and rising/posting canter helped to settle and relax her. (and me ! :eek: ).